Environmental Law

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Clean Air Act | Clean Water Act | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act | Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act |  Endangered Species Act | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act | National Environmental Policy Act |  Resource Conservation and Recovery Act | Safe Drinking Water Act | Solid Waste Disposal Act | Toxic Substances Control Act

How to Use this Guide to Research Legislative History

Clean Air Act (CAA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401-7671q

Select Legislative History

• Clean Air Act of 1970, Pub. L. 91-604, 84 Stat. 1676
• 1977 Amendments to Clean Air Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 95-95, 91 Stat. 685
• 1990 Amendment to the Clean Air Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 101-549, 104 Stat. 2399

Related Acts

• Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, Pub. L. No. 84-159, 69 Stat. 322
• Clean Air Act of 1963, Pub. L. No. 88-206, 77 Stat. 392
• Air Quality Act of 1967, Pub. L. No. 90-148, 81 Stat. 48
• Motor Vehicle Control Act of 1960, Pub. L. No. 86-493, 74 Stat. 162
• Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89-272, 79 Stat. 992

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. §§ 49-97, 122-23, 144-45, 270-71

Agency

• EPA
• EPA-Approved State Delegated Programs

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 27 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Clean Water Act (CWA)

Codification

• 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251-1387

Select History

• Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948, Pub. L. No. 80-845, 62 Stat. 1155
• Federal water Pollution control Act Amendments of 1972, Pub. L. No. 92-500, 86 Stat. 816
• Clean Water Act of 1977, Pub. L. No. 95-217, 91 Stat. 1566
• Water Quality Act of 1987, Pub. L. No. 100-4, 101 Stat. 7

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. §§ 104-136, 140, 144-45, 230-33, 401-71, 501-03

Agency

• EPA
• EPA-Approved State Delegated Programs
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 29 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601-9675

Select History

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, & Liability Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-510, 94 Stat. 2767
• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization act (SARA) of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-499, 100 Stat. 1615
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-508, 104 Stat. 1388
• Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-426, 106 Stat. 2174
• National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (1996), Pub. L. No. 104-201, 110 Stat. 2422
• Asset Conversation, Lender Liability, and Deposit Insurance Protection Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009
• Superfund Recycling Equity Act of 1999, Pub. L. No. 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501
• Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-118, 115 Stat. 2356

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. pt. 279 
• 40 C.F.R. §§ 300.1 to 312.31 
• 40 C.F.R. pt. 451

Agency

• EPA
• All U.S. States, Territories, and Native American Tribes
• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 41 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know (EPCRA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 11001-11050

​Select Legislative History

• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-499, 100 Stat. 1728

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. § 3.1 et seq

Agency

• EPA
• Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
• U.S. State and Local Governments
• Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)
• State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 25 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Endangered Species Act

Codification

• 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1544

Select History

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, Pub. L. No. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884
• Endangered Species Act Amendment of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-632, 92 Stat. 3751
• Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1982, Pub. L. No. 97-304, 96 Stat. 1411
• Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-478, 102 Stat. 2306
• National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-136, 117 Stat. 1392

Regulations

• 50 C.F.R. pt. 402.03

Agency

• EPA (Pesticides)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 43 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Codification

• 7 U.S.C. §§ 136-136y

Select History

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947, Pub. L. No. 80-104, 61 Stat. 163
• Federal Pesticide Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-396, 92 Stat. 819
• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Amendments, Pub. L. No. 96-539, 94 Stat. 3194
• Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-170, 110 Stat. 1490
• Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-199, Division G, Title V, 118 Stat. 419
• Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act, Pub. L. No. 110-94, 121 Stat. 1000

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. §§ 150-189

Agency

• EPA
• EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
• EPA-Approved State Delegated Programs

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 36 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 4341-4370h

Select Legislative History

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. No. 91-190, 83 Stat. 852 (1970)
• An Act to Amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. No. 94-83, 89 Stat. 424 (1975) (amend 42 U.S.C. § 4332)
• An Act to Authorize Further Appropriations for the Office of Environmental Quality and Other Purposes, Pub. L. No. 94-52, 89 Stat.258 (1975)

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. §§ 6, 1500-1508 (2016)
• 7 C.F.R. §  520 (2016)
• 10 C.F.R. § 1021 (2016) 

Agency

• Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
• All Federal Agencies

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 23 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) & Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 6901-6992k

Select History

• Solid Waste Disposal Act, Pub. L. No. 89-272, Title II, 90 Stat. 2795
• Resource Recovery Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 91-512, 84 Stat. 1228
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, Pub. L. No. 94-580, 90 Stat. 2798
• Used Oil Recycling Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-463, 94 Stat. 2055
• Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-482, 94 Stat. 2334
• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1994, Pub. L. No. 98-616, 98 Stat.3221
• Federal Facility Compliance Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-386, 106 Stat. 1507
• Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-119, 110 Stat. 830
• Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act, Pub. L. No. 112-195, 126 Stat. 1452

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. §§ 239-273, 279-282

Agency

• EPA
• EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management's (OLEM) Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR)
• EPA-Approved State Delegated Programs

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 34 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Codification

• 42 U.S.C. §§ 300f to 300j-26

Select History

• Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-523, 88 Stat. 1660
• Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-330, 100 Stat. 642
• Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-572, 102 Stat. 2885
• Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-182, 110 Stat. 1613
• Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-188, 16 Stat. 594

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. pt.141 

Agency

• EPA
• U.S. States (through the Public Water System Supervision and Underground Injection Control (UIC) Programs)
• National Drinking Water Advisory Council

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 31 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Codification

• 15 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2692

Select History

• Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, Pub. L. No. 94-469, 90 Stat. 2003
• Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-519, 100 Stat. 2970
• Radon Program Development Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-551, 102 Stat. 2755
• Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-550, 106 Stat. 1492
• Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Subtitle E, Pub. L. No. 110-140, 121 Stat 1492
• Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-199, 124 Stat 1367
• Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act of 2016, Pub. L. No. 114-182, 130 Stat. 448

Regulations

• 40 C.F.R. pt 700 to 799

Agency

• EPA
• Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC)
• U.S. Treasury Department
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Source:  Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 38 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)

Additional Acts of Environmental Law

For additional environmental law acts, see Appendix 1: Chronological List of Select Major Federal Environmental Statutes and Amendments, in Sara Lamdan, Environmental Information: Research, Access & Environmental Decisionmaking 291 (Environmental Law Institute 2017)